Deadline: 10-Jul-20
The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio has announced a call for proposals on Immediate Impact Grant program to serve the organizations on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis across central Ohio.
The Women’s Fund knows that grassroots, community-led initiatives are often the most critical during times of crisis because they are responsive, nimble, and effective at serving immediate needs. However, knowing that traditional funding systems often leave these smaller programs out of the funding pipeline.
Women, and particularly women of color, have faced unique and disproportionate challenges due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Serving as frontline workers and caregivers, suffering the majority of job losses, dealing with inadequate childcare supports, lacking paid leave benefits, as well as lacking the necessary wealth and savings to weather an economic crisis have left women under and unsupported.
Type of Initiative Women’s Fund will support
The Fund is to fund initiatives that both support women and girls most overwhelmed by the crisis and promote social change, with particular attention to investing in initiatives that are created, run by, and informed by the those most impacted. Here are some general examples to help you imagine your impact:
- Creating food and supply baskets to drop off to women or girls in need, and including program materials to foster leadership development, economic empowerment, or civic engagement.
- Securing tablets, Wi-Fi, or hot spots to allow for women or girls to participate in existing programming.
- Paying for printing and postage costs to send materials to program participants, or to advocate for the on-the-ground services that are needed in your community.
- Promoting creative youth-led leadership initiatives.
- Developing community needs mapping at a grassroots level to better connect people to services and supplies.
- Providing funding for gas for volunteers to deliver program materials.
Strategic Priorities
Through these immediate impact grants, they will seek to fund initiatives that either directly or indirectly connect to the following strategic priorities:
Economic Empowerment
- Child Care and the Benefits Cliff
- Access to Contraception
- Reduce Teen Pregnancy via Comprehensive, Medically Accurate Sex Education
- Paid Leave
- Pay Equity
Leadership for Women and Girls
- Women Running for Elected Office
- Advocacy Training
- Voting Rights and Informed Voting
- Women’s Leadership and Influence on Policy
- Girl’s Leadership
- Women’s Philanthropy
Funding Information
- All funds must be distributed through nonprofit organizations federally determined as 501(c)(3) entities. Applicants without 501(c)(3) status may engage a fiscal agent to administer their grant funds.
- Grants will be made in amounts between $500 to $1,500 for initiatives that will take place by December 31, 2020. Funds will be released within thirty days of the award announcement and upon receipt of required signed documents.
- The Women’s Fund will consider support for operating costs and will support new and innovative as well as established programs and initiatives.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Women’s Fund makes grants to programs and/or initiatives that serve women and girls in the central Ohio counties of Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union.
- All programs must align with one or more of the strategic priorities, directly or indirectly.
- All programs must have a gender lens and address gender norms.
- Funds may not be used for:
- Organizations that do not provide a respectful atmosphere for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, transgender, intersex, or asexual.
- Organizations that seek to restrict reproductive rights.
- Programs that promote religious activities and/or beliefs.
- Political campaigns or promotion of candidates for public office.
- Advancement of capital or endowment campaigns.
- Event sponsorship.
- Scholarships that fund individual students.
- Co-educational programs that do not clearly communicate a specific and unique focus on women and girls.
For more information, visit https://www.womensfundcentralohio.org/grants/apply/